Thin film magnetic heads are used extensively in data processors, such as disk drives. A typical thin film head comprises, inter alia, a nonmagnetic ceramic substrate, a magnetic yoke consisting of first and second magnetic arms or poles with a transducing gap between pole tips, and an electrically conducting coil that is inductively linked with the yoke. The magnetic flux that is generated in the yoke interacts with current in the conducting coil to effectuate transducing of data signals during the write and read modes of the data processing unit. As the number of flux interactions between the yoke and the coil is increased, the voltage signal induced during data processing is increased accordingly.
In one known prior art thin film head assembly, such as described in published European patent application 400,793, multiple flux linkages are provided by intertwining a pair of magnetic arms of a single yoke with one or more coils. The yoke is woven through the opening of the coil and intertwined with the coil and makes at least two passes through the coil structure. The yoke arms of the device described in the afore-mentioned application extend longitudinally in one direction, whereas the coil structure extends longitudinally in a convoluted design in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the yoke. It is apparent that the thin film head described in the referenced application requires a relatively long coil structure along the length of the yoke, which undesirably increases both the resistance of the coil and the reluctance of the magnetic circuit and results in increased thermal noise.